My Open Message to Gyatrul Rinpoche

[Ogyen]

All Buddhist/Non-Buddhist issues aside. What you got dragged up into is part of the Patriot Act. By framing you as they did, you are pretty much at the mercy of authorities as they see fit to process your case... you can be deemed guilty before having a chance to be proven innocent. Yes, it is a license for the US Govt to pretty much do ANYTHING they want without due process or justification. To see it from another (maybe more cynical perspective), you got lucky. You could have been detained without explanation or without being provided with recourse. It's happened already to many people who in the wrong place wrong time get swept up in a raid, round up, etc... and 6 months later people don't know where they are or what even happened.

If there are allegations serious enough (founded or not) you are in the serious position of not necessarily having a phone call. Thank you broken justice system. Sure, there are 'laws'... but matters of national security supersede any federal jurisdiction due to DHS's reach. Now, sadly, anyone can make an anonymous phone call claiming xyz person has this or that illegal/dangerous activity that falls in terr*ist speculations, and voila, there's a knock on your door in a pre-dawn round up.

Ideal: Freedom of Speech. Reality: No, you cannot say what you want. You think you can. Welcome to 1984 in the making. You have experienced the hard way that it is NOT a system that lends itself to freedom of speech but in name. There are serious consequences for telling the 'wrong person' to F*** off. You were harassed, continue to be harassed, and no one in a position to actually help you seems to give a damn about your position. You're here posting in a forum, where we're pretty much useless except to talk to you, but it's unlikely anyone can change the situation here. Unless we have a solid lawyer among us...?

So what does one in your position do? My advice, keep fighting however you can. But be knowledgeable about what it will/could cost you and how much nastier it can still get with a precedent of (false) allegations... The precedent now matters more than the truth of those allegations made. Be realistic about what your resources, the mental stress on you in the long run, and that the system is not necessarily on your side, made up of a bunch of ppl doing their jobs to make their own ends meet and with practically corporate directives in a supposed system of justice. $$ is the name of the game, my friend. Stay courageous. Educate yourself. Be ready.

On a personal note, I am saddened. Gyatrul Rinpoche is the founder of the sangha where I take refuge. I am seeing everyday more and more of the worldly politics in the Institution of Buddhism. Perhaps it's why I'm still leary of "signing on" with a root guru until I know that teacher reallly really really really well... I am a refuge student of Lama Dawa whom I have certainty verified for myself is an authentic, qualified teacher. But I am still uncomfortable with all politics where the spiritual path is concerned. I am also a (destructive) cult-survivor, and never forget what I was born to and escaped, or what horrors I've witnessed in the name of "God" carried out by very ignorant humans suffering inflicting their pain and vision of religion righteousness on others.

All the best,
D. Ogyen

[Nemo]

We are not powerless against a cultist who is disliked by her own lineage. As hateful and vindictive as the group may be this site has over 2000 members. They do not have the resources to hate everyone on the internet.

They also fear the truth. I invited them to this thread to defend their shameful predations on fellow Buddhists. 14 guests showed up within minutes. Not a single comment. With a business model that relies on milking the naive they actually have very little power. They are just bullies who have been given too much freedom to abuse. A public scolding will shut that tap off and they know it.

How much did hiring that boutique law firm to put Cassidy in jail for the tweets of Nydia cost anyway? Were those donations meant for the ordained and building the stupa? Wouldn't want the sponsors to know about that. They wouldn't understand that kind of "Buddha Activity" by an enlightened Tulku.

[Ogyen]

Agreed Nemo - that's why I say, stay courageous, keep fighting it best you can.

But there are two discussions going on - one concerns the internet, the other this person's private life. What resources can our friend realistically leverage to get out of this? The internet is full of anonymous haters. For every person you inform, there will be another dupe who falls prey to their propaganda. But his consequences weren't on the internet... they raided his home. No amount of 'telling the truth' helped him there, did it?

I agree and disagree with the point of this site having 2000 members. Many aren't even in the US. This issue is not even a Buddhist issue, it is a human rights issue. Internet activism can often be useful and just as quickly slacktivism. Awareness and realism is key. Idealism and internet 'activism' only go so far. I agree that we are not powerless, but (the royal) we also need to be very educated in terms of exactly what resources are available as well as the what the 'long haul' looks like in getting out of the REAL life damages already caused by these people who have clearly set their crosshairs on him. Awareness is key to combat all ignorance.

mujushinkyo - If they have such "deep pockets" and clearly can waste time and money targeting you, couldn't you sue them for damages and defamation of character? That would only be right to clear yourself of this once and for all legally. Because otherwise the record shows their side, and puts a legal precedent in yours. The only way to make a bully back down is to let them take the full consequences of their actions - again, if you can afford to see it all the way through... I don't know what your resources are for this, and I'm not a lawyer. But the long term consequences of their actions towards you could be very serious to you in future employment, spiritual path, reputation, etc... you know... real life stuff... You need to protect yourself too. He said, he said only goes so far and doesn't prevent the FBI from knocking on your door, clearly.

[mujushinkyo]

Agreed Nemo - that's why I say, stay courageous, keep fighting it best you can.

But there are two discussions going on - one concerns the internet, the other this person's private life. What resources can our friend realistically leverage to get out of this? The internet is full of anonymous haters. For every person you inform, there will be another dupe who falls prey to their propaganda. But his consequences weren't on the internet... they raided his home. No amount of 'telling the truth' helped him there, did it?

I agree and disagree with the point of this site having 2000 members. Many aren't even in the US. This issue is not even a Buddhist issue, it is a human rights issue. Internet activism can often be useful and just as quickly slacktivism. Awareness and realism is key. Idealism and internet 'activism' only go so far. I agree that we are not powerless, but (the royal) we also need to be very educated in terms of exactly what resources are available as well as the what the 'long haul' looks like in getting out of the REAL life damages already caused by these people who have clearly set their crosshairs on him. Awareness is key to combat all ignorance.

mujushinkyo - If they have such "deep pockets" and clearly can waste time and money targeting you, couldn't you sue them for damages and defamation of character? That would only be right to clear yourself of this once and for all legally. Because otherwise the record shows their side, and puts a legal precedent in yours. The only way to make a bully back down is to let them take the full consequences of their actions - again, if you can afford to see it all the way through... I don't know what your resources are for this, and I'm not a lawyer. But the long term consequences of their actions towards you could be very serious to you in future employment, spiritual path, reputation, etc... you know... real life stuff... You need to protect yourself too. He said, he said only goes so far and doesn't prevent the FBI from knocking on your door, clearly.

Hey Ogyen,

Thanks. I appreciate it. I am impressed by the loving messages I've gotten from people here. Some of have been private. A lawyer offered to help me with any case I might file, for example, after reading my letter to Gyatrul Rinpoche.

This cult is obsessed with publicity and in particular with protecting the public image of their Guru. They try to do this in a strange way -- by attacking, stifling, intimidating, threatening, defaming, and -- if they can and feel they must -- actually destroying in real life anyone who speaks up about them. I cannot match the amount of cash they've put into hiring Shanlon Wu, former legal counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno and a specialist in "defending white collar (rich) criminals." Also, I'm just one person, so I can't swing fifty Twitter accounts and ten blogs into action to shout them down.

However, they are weak in one sense: they don't really understand how to function on the Internet. For example, they tried to hide the fact that one of their prominent spokesmen, a close confidante and occasional ghostwriter for the Guru and one of the three people most responsible for cyberbullying, John Buhmeyer aka "Palzang," was arrested, tried and convicted last July of two counts of sexual assault on a minor and one count of sexual contact with a minor. I did some Google searching on a hunch and turned up the sheriff's arrest record including a mug shot and the court and prison records in about twenty minutes. I instantly posted links to these records on Twitter and on my blog, and now everybody knows about this. The cult hasn't been able to spin it.

Here is another problem they have on the Internet: the Guru has to keep them away from an open discussion board like this one, because she knows that their shrill and abusive tone, as well as their general ignorance of anything except their own obsessive talking points, doesn't "play" well in this type of venue and will only turn everybody off.

Meantime, they're paranoid and getting worse. They accused me of flying helicopters around their compound! They announced that @mana_horse on Twitter, a friend who RTd many of my absurdist "tulku tweets," was actually William Cassidy.

I feel they were able to get the FBI agent to target raid me for one reason, and one reason only -- my Twitter account was anonymous. After the raid I realized that publicity is my friend, and not theirs, so I came out and told everybody my real name. Publicity will eventually bring this to the ears of Gyatrul Rinpoche and Karma Kuchen and others, if it hasn't yet. Eventually, the cult will have to stand down or face a kind of "tipping point" in which 2,000 people knowing about what they've done suddenly turns into 10,000 then 100,000.

all regards to you, and thanks again,

Andrew

[Nemo]

They have deep pockets. Not bottomless pockets. They must have spent 250,000$ prosecuting William Cassidy. They hired Micheal Jackson's child molestation defense attourney to defend them from Nydia's restraining order in 2009. They hired a child molestation defense expert to defend Palzang. Knowing full well he was guilty. That is rumoured to be one of the reasons why Nydia left in the first place. My hope is that eventually the truth gets out and the donation boxes stop filling.

The core Sangha must be 50+, Jetsumna is 62. They can't use sex or glamour anymore. Their working Sangha's careers are at their apex or past it and they have no nest eggs for retirement. It's all been spent already and they have signed waivers that let KPC off the hook for looking after them in their old age. With no credibility they get no donations. With no donations they are only a threat to themselves.

[Karma Dorje]

They have deep pockets. Not bottomless pockets. They must have spent 250,000$ prosecuting William Cassidy. They hired Micheal Jackson's child molestation defense attourney to defend them from Nydia's restraining order in 2009. They hired a child molestation defense expert to defend Palzang. Knowing full well he was guilty. That is rumoured to be one of the reasons why Nydia left in the first place. My hope is that eventually the truth gets out and the donation boxes stop filling.

The core Sangha must be 50+, Jetsumna is 62. They can't use sex or glamour anymore. Their working Sangha's careers are at their apex or past it and they have no nest eggs for retirement. It's all been spent already and they have signed waivers that let KPC off the hook for looking after them in their old age. With no credibility they get no donations. With no donations they are only a threat to themselves.

They almost lost the center a year or so ago, but for the generous financial help of a UK buddhist organization whose name escapes me. I really do feel sorry for the ordained sangha that have spent most of their adult lives working to support Jabba the tulku and her designs on world domination. I really think the overwhelming majority of them are well-meaning but not terribly bright/educated.

[mujushinkyo]

They have deep pockets. Not bottomless pockets. They must have spent 250,000$ prosecuting William Cassidy. They hired Micheal Jackson's child molestation defense attourney to defend them from Nydia's restraining order in 2009. They hired a child molestation defense expert to defend Palzang. Knowing full well he was guilty. That is rumoured to be one of the reasons why Nydia left in the first place. My hope is that eventually the truth gets out and the donation boxes stop filling.

The core Sangha must be 50+, Jetsumna is 62. They can't use sex or glamour anymore. Their working Sangha's careers are at their apex or past it and they have no nest eggs for retirement. It's all been spent already and they have signed waivers that let KPC off the hook for looking after them in their old age. With no credibility they get no donations. With no donations they are only a threat to themselves.

They almost lost the center a year or so ago, but for the generous financial help of a UK buddhist organization whose name escapes me. I really do feel sorry for the ordained sangha that have spent most of their adult lives working to support Jabba the tulku and her designs on world domination. I really think the overwhelming majority of them are well-meaning but not terribly bright/educated.

Hey, man,

I'm torn between saying "Ha ha! Jabba the Tulku! Best line ever!" and warning you that this is how it all started with me. A few witty rejoinders, and before I knew it, staring down FBI gunsights as they handcuffed my girlfriend in her pajamas just outside our bedroom on the morning after Valentine's Day.

[Kunzang]

They also fear the truth. I invited them to this thread to defend their shameful predations on fellow Buddhists. 14 guests showed up within minutes. Not a single comment.

They didn't comment, but "simhamukha" joined and has been very busy trying to bury this thread by commenting on other Nyingma threads.

Really freaking lame.

[Nemo]

I was small as a kid. Parents were considering growth hormone treatments back when they still came from cadavers. Obviously I was bullied often at school. A Cuban featherweight champ was staying with us. One day I came home after school crying. After his training lets just say I didn't get bullied much anymore.

I eventually grew to over 5'11". But I still remember what it is like to be bullied.

This is one of the emails Jetsumna's attendant sent William Cassidy a few years ago.

[Kunzang]

simhamuka,

What you're doing by posting in multiple Nyingma subforum threads to try and bury this thread is transparently obvious. It only makes KPC look even more desperate.

It's also a violation of the TOS:

2. Do not be disruptive

Dharma Wheel is an environment for the discussion of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. All are welcome but are required to abide by the TOS. Special forums have been created for special areas of interest so please respect these boundaries. Dharma Wheel administrators and moderators reserve the right to edit inappropriate content, and to remove or transfer any posts or threads that are not relevant to the sub-forum in which they are posted. Any subject matter that may be off-topic or is intended only to cause disruption or harm to others may be removed without notice. This includes the badmouthing of other Buddhist discussion forums, trolling and proselytizing.

[Karma Dorje]

Hey, man,

I'm torn between saying "Ha ha! Jabba the Tulku! Best line ever!" and warning you that this is how it all started with me. A few witty rejoinders, and before I knew it, staring down FBI gunsights as they handcuffed my girlfriend in her pajamas just outside our bedroom on the morning after Valentine's Day.

If it helps them to leave you alone, I don't mind if they pick on me. I live in Canada and do not twit, or whatever the verb is.

Back in the early 90s, when Her Corpulence came to Toronto to give a "dharma talk" about all of the crystals they were buying with her followers' savings and how much they were spending on buildings and stupas, I asked her what she had done for the people in the DC slums that were a short drive from KPC. Her response? Oh feeding people only brings temporary benefit, building dharma edifices is eternal.

No heart, and as is increasingly evident over the years: no shame.

[mujushinkyo]

Hey, man,

I'm torn between saying "Ha ha! Jabba the Tulku! Best line ever!" and warning you that this is how it all started with me. A few witty rejoinders, and before I knew it, staring down FBI gunsights as they handcuffed my girlfriend in her pajamas just outside our bedroom on the morning after Valentine's Day.

If it helps them to leave you alone, I don't mind if they pick on me. I live in Canada and do not twit, or whatever the verb is.

Back in the early 90s, when Her Corpulence came to Toronto to give a "dharma talk" about all of the crystals they were buying with her followers' savings and how much they were spending on buildings and stupas, I asked her what she had done for the people in the DC slums that were a short drive from KPC. Her response? Oh feeding people only brings temporary benefit, building dharma edifices is eternal.

No heart, and as is increasingly evident over the years: no shame.

Ah! I wish I were Canadian. You're very lucky.

[mujushinkyo]

They also fear the truth. I invited them to this thread to defend their shameful predations on fellow Buddhists. 14 guests showed up within minutes. Not a single comment.

They didn't comment, but "simhamukha" joined and has been very busy trying to bury this thread by commenting on other Nyingma threads.

Really freaking lame.

That is the entirely typical cowardly and underhanded style of KPC cyber-warfare.

The monks and nuns don't meditate; instead, they buy computer equipment with donations to go online and harass people their Guru dislikes. It's the first Cyberwarfare Sangha in history.

[Kunzang]

They also fear the truth. I invited them to this thread to defend their shameful predations on fellow Buddhists. 14 guests showed up within minutes. Not a single comment.

They didn't comment, but "simhamukha" joined and has been very busy trying to bury this thread by commenting on other Nyingma threads.

Really freaking lame.

That is the entirely typical cowardly and underhanded style of KPC cyber-warfare.

The monks and nuns don't meditate; instead, they buy computer equipment with donations to go online and harass people their Guru dislikes. It's the first Cyberwarfare Sangha in history.

I don't know about whether they don't meditate; that's maybe an exagerration. But I can understand how it seems that way to you from what you've experienced from them. I do know they regularly do a lot of pujas (puja = "prayer" type rituals). Back in the late 80s, I listened to a taped teaching of Jetsunma, and she did seem to emphasize things like training in cultivating a compassionate mindset and making merit rather than meditating. She said regarding the meditative approach of Dzogchen something like "it's like feeding meat to a baby, they can't digest it, it'll only make them sick". Now nearly 30 years later it seems they're still at that level. Maybe that's just the public face.

A long time ago ('89 or so?) Jetsunma came to the dharma center in Monterey, Tennessee(it's now called Padma Gochen Ling http://pbc-tn.org/about-us/gochen-ling" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) where I've received the most teachings from "the Khenpos" (the late Khenpo Palden Sherab and his brother Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal - see padmasambhava.org). I didn't go. Afterwards I saw how she was a polarizing figure in our group - a lot were very offended by her, others admired her. She was never invited again. I think the divisiveness that retreat stirred up was why that was the last time any other teacher besides the Khenpos were ever invited to our center. Our fledgling sangha used to host a variety of teachers including Zen, one time a Gurdjieff-type teacher, and several times Dhyani Ywahoo came (I heard that Jetsunma was extremely outspoken and critical that Dhyani Ywahoo had done Native American ceremonies on the land; that was part of why many disliked her).

Why am I relating any of this? It's because I still consider KPC vajra-family, however distant. We have connections and I don't like to see how the good things they've done have become overshadowed by their strange enduring grudge against the uber-boogeyman William Cassidy and his supposed allies like Andrew (mujushinkyo).

I would like for their cyber-warfare as you, mujushinkyo call it, to end. I looked through many recent days worth of KPC tweets and I don't see any mention of you, so maybe they've let it go. Now, they're joining this board, and simhamuka's attempt to bury this thread didn't work and was exposed as such.

Maybe we can all learn from each other and support each other instead of seeing each other as enemies.

Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal has requested Vajrasattva mantras for this year's mantra accumulation http://www.padmasambhava.org/mantra_accum.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I think I'll do a lot more than I've already done.

[Kunzang]

I think all the moderators are offline (I hope they are sleeping well). So they're not able to respond to this right now.

One of the KPC (simhamuka) has decided to keep this "cyberwar" tactic of posting comments to old threads in the Nyingma as a way to try and bury the "Open Letter To Gyatrul Rinpoche" thread all night long.

I tried to put out the peace flag in my last post, but it didn't work.

[purple rose]

This thread has been temporarily "stickied".

[Grigoris]

(14) When we hear only language that is foul and abusive,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we have said many things without thinking;
We have slandered and caused many friendships to end.
Hereafter let’s censure all thoughtless remarks.

...(18) When unjustly we are blamed for the misdeeds of others,
And are falsely accused of flaws that we lack,
And are always the object of verbal abuse,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we’ve despised and belittled our gurus;
Hereafter let’s never accuse others falsely,
But give them full credit for virtues they have.

...(23) When others find fault with whatever we’re doing
And people seem eager to blame only us,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we’ve been shameless, not caring about others,
We have thought that our deeds didn’t matter at all,
Hereafter let’s stop our offensive behavior.

...(45) When no matter how well-meant our actions toward others,
They always elicit a hostile response,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we’ve repaid loving-kindness with malice;
Hereafter let’s always accept others’ favors
Both graciously and with most humble respect.

...(52) Frantically running through life’s tangled jungle,
We are chased by sharp weapons of wrongs we have done
Returning upon us; we are out of control.
This sly, deadly villain – the selfishness in us,
Deceiving ourselves and all others as well
Capture him, capture him, fierce Yamantaka,
Summon this enemy, bring him forth now!

(53) Batter him, batter him, rip out the heart
Of our grasping for ego, our love for ourselves!
Trample him, trample him, dance on the head
Of this treacherous concept of selfish concern!
Tear out the heart of this self-centered butcher
Who slaughters our chance to gain final release!

http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/ar ... apons.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yamantaka.jpg (75.98 KiB) Viewed 1839 times

[Nemo]

I think it may be a good time to deconstruct some of the evil things said about William Cassidy. He is not a crazy stalker. He has crazy stalkers. He went to jail to protect a woman he rescued from a cult. Obviously he is not vajragurl. Even the 8000 tweets claim is bogus. The FBI only found a few hundred after getting rid of retweets, etc.

Around the time KPC was shopping his prosecution around he published some financials that looked really bad along with some of Zeoli's emails that made her look crazy.

http://tibetanaltar.blogspot.ca/2009/08 ... stupa.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When I took the reins of Zeoli's organization, the stupa which she maintains in Sedona was USD $54,000 in arrears, with a USD $700,000 balloon payment due by November 2008.

Zeoli was unwilling to commit any funds to bring the stupa current. Instead, she allocated her resources to the purchase a USD $1 million personal residence in rural Maryland, and at a time when her organization was crying poor to the stupa's note holder, she took a USD $300,000 windfall profit from the sale of a "donated" home in Arizona, and put it in her purse.

Beginning in March 2008, her organization came under intense scrutiny by the I.R.S. Criminal Division, with particular emphasis on dealings in the State of Arizona. Zeoli's reaction to this was to order all of her followers to abandon Sedona and rally around her in Poolesville, Maryland. She also took the unprecedented step of basically putting the stupa up for sale. To justify uprooting her Arizona followers, Zeoli claimed that there was a "black cloud of negativity" hanging over Sedona, and yes... you guessed it... the "succubus" was on the rampage again.

I am almost entirely certain that this is not what the many people who donated money to build this stupa had in mind. It is also a very sleazy real estate deal. For around $700,000 you can buy the note and own the whole thing. What they want you to do is to (1) pay off their note, (2) give them a $600,000 profit, which they can then use to pay off Zeoli's personal residence, and (3) leave them ownership of the stupa. Also, they do not disclose that you will also almost certainly be buying your way into an audit. This is right livelihood?

[DGA]

On a personal note, I am saddened. Gyatrul Rinpoche is the founder of the sangha where I take refuge. I am seeing everyday more and more of the worldly politics in the Institution of Buddhism. Perhaps it's why I'm still leary of "signing on" with a root guru until I know that teacher reallly really really really well... I am a refuge student of Lama Dawa whom I have certainty verified for myself is an authentic, qualified teacher. But I am still uncomfortable with all politics where the spiritual path is concerned. I am also a (destructive) cult-survivor, and never forget what I was born to and escaped, or what horrors I've witnessed in the name of "God" carried out by very ignorant humans suffering inflicting their pain and vision of religion righteousness on others.

I was once whining to a lama that I've never had the luxury of living near a temple, but instead have had to commute some distance to get the teachings and then practice on my own. She laughed and cited a Tibetan proverb, which went into my notes as: "The clever yogi comes for the teachings and the blessings... and then runs for his life." This changed my perspective: there's merit in being close enough to learn, but also distant enough not to get swept up into nonsense on BS Street and potentially lose pure view of one's teacher and fellow travelers. It's turned out to work quite nicely.

I'm not saying one should evade dharma center responsibilities or avoid one's teacher. I am saying that there's value in ensuring you don't find yourself habitually stepping in someone else's crappy diaper.

[Ogyen]

On a personal note, I am saddened. Gyatrul Rinpoche is the founder of the sangha where I take refuge. I am seeing everyday more and more of the worldly politics in the Institution of Buddhism. Perhaps it's why I'm still leary of "signing on" with a root guru until I know that teacher reallly really really really well... I am a refuge student of Lama Dawa whom I have certainty verified for myself is an authentic, qualified teacher. But I am still uncomfortable with all politics where the spiritual path is concerned. I am also a (destructive) cult-survivor, and never forget what I was born to and escaped, or what horrors I've witnessed in the name of "God" carried out by very ignorant humans suffering inflicting their pain and vision of religion righteousness on others.

I was once whining to a lama that I've never had the luxury of living near a temple, but instead have had to commute some distance to get the teachings and then practice on my own. She laughed and cited a Tibetan proverb, which went into my notes as: "The clever yogi comes for the teachings and the blessings... and then runs for his life." This changed my perspective: there's merit in being close enough to learn, but also distant enough not to get swept up into nonsense on BS Street and potentially lose pure view of one's teacher and fellow travelers. It's turned out to work quite nicely.

I'm not saying one should evade dharma center responsibilities or avoid one's teacher. I am saying that there's value in ensuring you don't find yourself habitually stepping in someone else's crappy diaper.

In this tibetan proverbial sense then, I must be a very clever student then. I am not close to any center myself, it's a trek to get out in both gas expense, time off, etc. I used to be frustrated about it, but consider myself quite lucky after witnessing some of the politics that take place... More reason to be that much more dedicated to practice. Buddhist centers are still composed of humans, who are still suffering.